


Rachel saved my life - in every way possible

by DoeEyedButterFly



Series: Rachel saved my life - in every way possible [1]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Body Image, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Drug Dealing, Drug Use, F/F, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Underage Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-01-15 06:36:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18493405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoeEyedButterFly/pseuds/DoeEyedButterFly
Summary: shorts of how Rachel Amber changed Chloe Price's life for the better, always had her back and the impact her presence made (woven into BTS but not quite according to BTS, if ya know what I mean)





	1. Stay With Me

 

This day couldn't possibly get any more intense, at least that's what Chloe thought, when she helped Rachel through the window - not that the girl needed it anyways, athletic as she was, but it was a nice gesture still... or something like that.  
Just two short hours ago, Rachel freaking Amber kicked a stupid ass trash can in a park near the overlook, where they dared to have a little fun, before the world was lit on fire... literally. Or at least, the small town of Arcadia Bay, the only part of the world Chloe Price ever got to see.

Rachel slid from the desk that was placed right under the window sill, holding her hand over both mouth and nose, trying not to cough but Chloe, who was certain at this point, they both smelled like a squirrel barbecue, turned around to her and shook her head reassuringly. "Mom left already, she won't be home before four, she works longer on the weekends, so we should just chill, maybe change our clothes, before the prison guards arrive-"  
"Uhm... Chloe", whispered Rachel and pointed at something slightly above Chloe's shoulder, "I think, they just did".

Chloe swung around, her eyes widened quickly at the sight of a big black mustache. Her mom's boyfriend stood right in front of her, too close for her comfort, then again, being in her room, in her house, in her life, all breathing and annoying, was already too close for her comfort. Quiet and with a very familiar disappointed look in her eyes, Joyce-, Chloe's mother and only reason, why the troubled girl didn't already jump right in front of a train... yet.

"Oh fuck!"  
"Language!", commanded the mustache. Before Chloe could react or apologize, not that she inteded to, another person entered the room, elegant suit, hair oiled back...  
"Oh fuck!"  
"Rachel! Language!" James Amber, district attorney, father of an incredibly talented, almost sixteen year old daughter and also freelance lying, cheating motherfucker, joined the gang of fascists.  
"Sorry Daddy", mumbled Rachel and stared at the man, who not only gave her her life, but also gave her several headaches in the past couple of days.  
The man they had just seen, plunging his tongue into the throat of a woman in in a white dress, stood there, like it was his living room and lectured his kid about ill behavior.

  
Chloe's mom took a step forward. "So you are Rachel? Well, I'd say it's nice to meet you honey, but given the circumstances..."  
  
"The circumstances?", David snorted. "I personally took her to school to ensure, she would attend and this is what happens? You've been way too indulgent with her Joyce, now you will have to learn how to put your foot down! And you", he addressed Rachel, "what were you thinking, wandering off school campus with this one? I thought, women only desperately need company, when they have to use the bathroom!", he shouted, spit flying around Chloe's face.

"Excuse me Mister Madsen, Sir, although, I do appreciate you being so invested in this matter and obviously seem far more surprised and shocked, than your wife here, I would like to take things into my own hands, when it comes to my daughter." James Amber spoke calmly but determined, no objection granted.  
He pushed his way through to his daughter, grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a very stern look, followed by the words, "Your mother and I couldn't possibly be more disappointed in you, Rachel. How dare you? I was at the office this afternoon, when we got the call, you were missing. Do you have the slightest idea, what you put us through?"

Chloe shook her head in disgust. "She is not _his_ wife. They are just fu... seeing each other." No one took notice of her. As always. She should be used to it by now.  
  
Rachel's eyes narrowed. Her voice was nothing but a whisper. "You... you were in your office, this afternoon?", she asked her father, looking him directly in the eyes. Mister Amber's grip tightened, as if he tried with all his power to emphasize his point through physical strength.   
"Yes", he nodded, "yes, I was, I buried myself in work, thinking my child would do the same at the expensive academy we send her to every morning, until your mother knocked at the door, telling me, that someone had seen you in the presence of a certain Chloe Price."   
  
'A certain _Chloe Price_ '... was it the way this scumbag pronounced her name or the tone he said it in, that bothered Chloe so much? Or was it the fact, that the two girls, who just arrived at what she had been calling home for years, the house, her father built for his little family he was so proud of, and that was now invested with men, who shouldn't be here in the first place, standing next to each other, those two girls knew, for a fact, that James Amber was lying? Or was, what bothered her, something completely different? Like a whiff of sherry she could smell, coming from right next to her, seemingly from a 'certain' district attorney, starting at this very moment to shake his daughter back and forth, continuing his rant "Do you know, how you make me look? I'm an elected official. People are watching our family closely, everything you do is monitored. How many times have we told you, when you leave the house, you are representing the Amber family and everything we stand for, whether it's what you say, what you do, what you wear, what you eat... or who you choose to spend your time with."

  
Rachel's eyes filled with tears, it was very hard to tell, if what made her cry was the pain, caused by the flood of words and expectations that could never be met or the pain inflicted to her body, by a man she trusted with her heart, mind and soul. It was even harder to watch it and Chloe refused to do so.  
  
Whitout any hesitation, she closed her fingers around the DA's wrist and pulled his arm away. "Don't touch her like that. You can't do this here. You can't do this in front of me, man. You can't do this at all."  
Images of the previous night popped up in her head. Rachel stepping up, defending her, not even knowing her but coming to her defense. "Let go of her, you are hurting her!"   
  
Mister Amber looked at Chloe, disbelieving what was happening.  
Rachel looked at Chloe, a silent "thank you" on her face.  
  
"Let go, asshole, keep your hands to yourself, if I have to repeat myself, my boots will closely monitor your balls."  
  
"Chloe!", it was the first time her mother spoke up- against her. She wished, she would have been surprised.  
  
James Amber took a step back, tumbling almost, looking from one girl to the other. That's when Chloe herself no longer held on to this piece of trash right in front of her.  
  
"Young Missy, you are not qualified, to tell a grown man, how to raise his child", barked David in Chloe's direction.  
She was completely unimpressed and rubbed Rachel's shoulders to comfort her, not even looking at him, she wouldn't even give him that.  
  
"He has been looking for a job for over a year now Mister A. Maybe you wanna offer him one in the kiss-ass department. He can keep track of who _you_ choose to spend your time with."  
  

Silence.  
  
  
"Chloe", Joyce mumbled. The voice of a woman, who hasn't been heard in a while. Literally.  
"Honey, talk to me, I need an explaination. What is going on here? What happened after David dropped you off this morning?  
Sneaking back inside, at night, like a criminal? No call, no text message,- I mean text", she corrected herself.

 

More silence.  
  
  
Yes, they talked about it, yes, Chloe promised to do better, to be better, to reply. Something, she blamed someone else for not doing enough... not doing at all.  
But answering her mom's questions was impossible. Not now, that she saw herself, what happened to Rachel behind closed doors.

 

"Chloe..."  
  
She shook her head. "No Mom, no."  
  
Under her soft hands, Chloe felt Rachel relaxing a bit, she had managed to ease the extreme tension by carefully caressing it away.  
   
  
Joyce inhaled deeply and after another moment of silence, she finally said, "Fine Chloe, if you don't want to talk to me or anyone of us here, I'm going to call Dr. Bergmann and set up an appointment."  
  
  
"Dr. Bergmann?" Chloe laughed sarcastically. "Who are you kidding Mom? Fine. Fine... let's call this son of a bitch, so he can charge a hundred bucks an hour, just to minimize my problems and tell me how he knows exactly what I'm going through right now and that I really, really, really should stop self medicating, if I ever want to get to fourty-five, something Dad was deprived of by the way, even though he was as healthy as humanly possible.  
Please, oh please, let's call Dr. Bergmann, so I can cry to him about my putika madre, while he takes notes on his fancy McBook, about me, being so mad and angry and sad, I'm so sad, so sooo sad."  
  
  
Rachel gasped. Language...  
  
  
Joyce Price, mother of an increadibly talented, yet depressed sixteen year old daughter, raised an eyebrow in confusion.  
  
"What does that mean?"  
  
  
Chloe looked at her boots, then into her mom's face, then down at her boots again.  
  
"Chloe, what does that mean? What did you just say? I know what madre means... what is putika?"  
  
  
Chloe closed her eyes, she thought about doing her Spanish homework with Eliot. Dad wanted her to pick French studies but a third of the world speaks Spanish Dad... "whatever makes you happy", whatever made her happy. Whatever made her happy... Daddy bringing home a pregnant cat from the shelter, that turned out to just be a fat boy, Daddy building her a dresser for her room, enough space for an entire clothing store and all of Max's clothes... Max... whatever made her happy. Fuck Max. Whatever made her happy. Helping him painting blue, so blue, like the sky, hopeful. Whatever made her happy... Dad built this house, he built it with his handy hands, the hands he gave her, the hands that are holding Rachel right now... the hands that held her Dad's hands, long after other kids refused to show any affection for their parents...  
Whatever made her happy... Dad built the bed... her first bunk bed with a slide on the side, because that made her happy and the one, he slept in with his wife, every night, in his house, with his wife, _his_ wife, who had his only child, in this house, because she was so eager to come into this shitty world and be born into this shitty town, that they didn't make it to the hospital and the wooden floor in _her_ room, in _her_ house, became the first thing, Chloe ever touched as a human being...  and she made him happy, because she loved him, because he was everything... whatever made him happy, made her happy, ... whatever made _them_ happy... and now the sexist, racist, fascist is sleeping in the bed, a bed, made by someone he never knew, with his _not_ -wife and drinking out of a mug saying "number 1 Dad", because she was so happy, when she made it for Dad, not for him. A mug, Eliot once drank out of,... not for him. Don't touch it... don't touch.  
  
  
"Chloe? What does it mean?"  
  
  
Eliot, putting all the books aside... homework is boring, let's do something fun... this would make her happy... right? Eliot taking his shirt off, and hers... and his jeans... and hers... is this what happiness feels like?... whatever made her happy... happy... whatever... Dad wanted her to pick French, why didn't she pick French? Because one third of the world speaks Spanish Dad... and Eliot was talking to her, in a language she didn't understand... happy. And he kept talking and talking, faster and faster until ll the talking was done. Happy putika... Chloe rubbed the wedding band on her ring finger, the one that said "W to J with love".  Mom gave it to her, when she forced her to meet David, told her to keep it. Putika... Mom is wearing Dad's wedding ring on a necklace... "J to W, with love"... she is wearing it, while she is banging this piece of crap, allowing him to drink out of a mug, not made for him... not made for him... not made for him... not. Not happy. Putika. Mom is one... and Chloe is one too.  
  
  
"Chloe!"  
  
  
"LITTLE WHORE, LITTLE BITCH, LITTLE SLUT, OKAY?! That's what it means, now shut the hell up and leave me the fuck alone!"  
  
  
It happened so fast, Chloe didn't see it coming.  
David slapped her so hard, she fell backwards and hit her head, she dove face first into the window. Fresh blood joined the dried blood, the black eye the last night had given her vanished and created room for something more. Different guy, same spot.  
  
  
Rachel screamed, then jumped on Chloe's side, using the sleeve of her flannel shirt to put pressure on he wound, supporting her neck.  
  
  
"David!" Joyce's hands went up to cover her mouth, then her eyes, then her ears.  
  
  
"Did you really just call your mother a prostitute?! I swear, If you ever, ever raise your voice against her or me or anyone in this house, ever again, if you ever, ever use words like these in this house again, I am going to throw you right through this wall, out onto the street, I'm not even going to use the window for it.", David's words sounded like a promise. Chloe swallowed.  
  
"Don't you fucking dare!" Rachel had fire in her eyes, she looked like a taurus, ready to impale. The hand on Chloe's face, covered in flannel, became a fist.  
Her shirt was soaked in blood, she switched sleeves and carefully put pressure on Chloe's face again.  
  
  
Someone cleared their throat "Rachel... I, ah, I would very much like to step away from this situation." James Amber turned to his daughter.  
"Your mother is waiting, we have disturbed this family long enough. Come on now."  
  
  
"Family... that what this is?" Rachel asked quietly into the room. No one answered her.   
"You go back to Mom. I am not leaving Chloe here, I am going nowhere without her."

  
Mister Amber shook his head and went out of the door, halfway down the stairs they heard him sigh... "Bring her then."

  
  
The wooden floor boards squealed a little when Rachel faced Chloe and looked her deep in the eyes. The fist opened to a hand to hold.  
"Chloe, I need you, will you please come and stay with me?" She didn't wait for an answer.


	2. Powerless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shorts of how Rachel Amber changed Chloe Price's life for the better, always had her back and the impact her presence made (woven into BTS but not quite according to BTS, if ya know what I mean)

Three soft knocks on the white wooden door, in this wooden mansion, full of wooden people, except for the one person, that was currently knocking.  
"Chloe, can I come in?", a soft spoken voice just a few feet away from the sleepy girl, was asking. Chloe nodded, forgot to answer verbally though.  
The door opened, no more than a hand wide. "Chloe? Are you decent?", Rachel asked, sticking her head in, but covering her face with one hand, the other one held a lit lantern.  
"I don't know, if I'd call it that", came the quick response. "... but I'm not naked, if that's what you want to know."   
"Oh, well", Rachel took the hand off her eyes and winked, "I can come back later."  
  
She entered the room fully, as Chloe shook her head and smiled sadly.   
  
"The power should be back any minute now. I don't know, why we're without electricity again. Are you okay?"  
Rachel stood right by Chloe's bedside, the girl was tucked into all white sheets, in an expensive guest bed with a Danish horse-hair filled matress, that was way too big for her, she looked so lost in it, lost... and very lonely. 

"Does your face hurt?", Rachel carefully brushed over Chloe's cheek, touching it with her fingertips only.   
Nothing but a shrug for an answer.  
"Chloe?"  
"... maybe a little."  
  
"Here", Rachel sat down the lantern on Chloe's bed and pulled out some jar from one of her shorts pockets. "I made this myself. It's calendula, do you want to give it a try? It's not gonna ease your pain obviously but hopefully it does relax your skin a little and I can put some make up on it tomorrow, just not while it's still bleeding a bit. Did you clean it out? I wouldn't want it to get infected."   
Chloe again shook her head, no sad smile this time. She was too tired.  
  
Rachel sighed, dipped her fingers into the cream and applied half of it on Chloe's stinging face, carefully, to not cause any more damage.  
"Chloe...?" Nothing but a frown for an answer.  
"Can I sit with you?", tried Rachel again.  
"It's your house, really."  
  
Rachel brushed her hair back and sighed deeply, then picked up the lantern and blew it out. Complete darkness surrounded them.  
No one would be able to tell, if Rachel's sleep shorts were indeed dark brown, grey, black or blue. She sat down, far away enough, giving Chloe space but not too far, with their knees almost touching, to show support.  
  
None of them blinked. Or talked. Or moved.  
  
"Okay", Rachel finally spoke up. "I'll start... I... I really  hate 'chicken à la queen'. I do. Mom knows, but she keeps serving it... now that told her I'm a vegan... I don't think, she takes me seriously... or maybe she is under the impression, it's just a thing that's in right now, a weird phase I'm going through and I'll eventually change my mind...  
Sometimes even I doubt myself, I do make exceptions here and there, but right now... I guess, ah, I just I don't know... Rachel Amber at a loss of words, Rachel Amber, not knowing the correct answer... that was a rare instance.  
  
Chloe nodded barely visible. "Her reaction in the kitchen was all... uhm, worried but also, very controlling or something like that."  
  
"Well yeah, you were probably wondering, where that came from... There was a time, not too long ago, where I refused to eat anything she made. It was all just very confusing and frustrating... I don't have to tell you, you know how tough times can get" Indeed. Chloe gulped. She exactly knew how that felt. "... anyways, I began to eat as little as possible... less, then less, then nothing at all. Until one day, my mom walked in and found a bag of cotton balls, I had just purchased. I didn't eat them, I didn't-", Rachel hurried to say, when she saw the look on Chloe's face. "but... well, Mom admitted, that she did monitor the history on my laptop for months... and yeah, since I did research, how to fill my stomach up with cotton balls, I was fucked very hard, of course... Again, I didn't do it. I didn't. I swear. I got lucky. But I do care about my looks... way more, than I am comfortable to admit, and Mom knows, so she didn't believe me... I just hope, you do. Because... because this is hard for me, but I am not too ashamed, to tell _you_." 

Rachel looked Chloe straight in the eyes, then put one hand on her knee and just left it there.  
  
Chloe swallowed hard. Cotton balls...What the fuck?! "You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen." Da hell? It just flew out of her mouth. She didn't even think about it. What was that? Blushing? No. It was dark, one does not simply blush right into the darkness.  
  
Rachel smiled, tilting her head. "Wow, thank you... oof... my goodness... I-I guess, I just want you to know, I'm healthy, Chloe, I don't want you to worry about me. Mom and Dad are trying very hard, to keep me safe and well. This is just one of the reasons why... it's just... sometimes, they are a little much..."  
  
_Sometimes... a little._.. Chloe closed her eyes and thought back on James Amber in her room, shaking Rachel, telling her, what a disappointment she was. The one thing, Chloe could actually relate to.   
Rose, Rachel's mom, downstairs, at the inner table being all quiet and passively aggressive, fake-smiling at Chloe, asking her, if she wanted more rice, when all Chloe wanted, was a huge steak on her face, right where her mom's boy toy striked the previous hour and the skeevy douchbag did too, just one night before him.

Chloe put her hand on top of Rachel's hand that was placed on top of Chloe's knee. The start of a hand stack.

"I also am amazed at the fighting culture in your home", Rachel proceeded. "You and David, but especially you and your mom, it's insane how invested and passionate you can get Chloe, you are so willing to defend your point, no matter what. You are not backing down. That's really badass, you know... In this house, we don't really talk about things. At all. Everyone knows, something is up. You've seen it downstairs, before that thing happened." Rachel pointed into the dark room and to the ceiling. "Whenever there is a problem, Dad locks himself in his office, Mom cries in a corner and I'm just left to do whatever the fuck I want...we just swipe it all under the rug and that's where everything stays. Forever... or until the house blows up."  
  
Nothing but a head shake for an answer.

Rachel shrugged. "Here, this is for you, it's for your nightmares. I couldn't sleep but I heard you, so I just had to come over." Rachel put a tiny dreamcatcher on a string with colored feathers around Chloe's neck.  
  
"So... I understand, if you don't want to tell me... but Chloe, I need to know, so I _have_ to ask... and then we'll never have to talk about it ever again. Okay?"  
  
After an eternity, Chloe shifted, clearing her throat. Rachel just confessed something, that was hard for her... "Okay."   
  
"Did David ever put his hands on you in anger before? At any time? With or without Joyce around?"  
"No,... no he hasn't".   
"Really?"  
"Really."  
"So today was the first time then?"  
"Yeah..."  
"I understand... well, I'll make sure, there won't be a next time. Ever."   
"Thank you, Rachel."  
"No, thank _you_ for trusting me."  
  
  
Rachel put her other hand on top of Chloe's hand, that was placed on Rachel's hand, that was placed on Chloe's knee.  
  
  
"I kinda wonder, what Mom would make me eat, if I went to her one day and said something like, "Hey, I'm not only a vegan now, I am also a lesbian. What's for dinner?"  
  
"Uuuh what?"

  
  
-BUZZ-

  
  
With a buzzing sound, the light turned on. The power was back. Arcadia Bay was burning down to the shore but at least, they had electricity.  
  
Both of the girls blinked, irritated by the sudden change of brightness in the room.

  
Chloe pulled her hands away and sat back a few inches, she looked the girl sitting across from her up and down, thinking about the stupid small fishing town, she was forced to live in, every day of her fucked up life, she carefully studied her new dreamcatcher, that was dangling off her, in all colors of the rainbow.  
When she looked back at Rachel, narrowing her eyes, she just knew.  
"Oysters."   
  
"Hm, wha-?" and then Rachel laughed and laughed, until she cried.  
  
  
Chloe not only asked Rachel to stay in the guest room with her that night, but also to leave the light on for her, because of the nightmares, she would probably have.  
Long after her breath slowed down and Rachel was dreaming of better things to come in the future, Chloe, tired and exhausted as fuck, still couldn't take her eyes off that girl, because Rachel Amber was just as beautiful on the outside, as she was on the inside. With her small hight and definitely with all her curves. 

 


	3. strawberries...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shorts of how Rachel Amber changed Chloe Price's life for the better, always had her back and the impact her presence made (woven into BTS but not quite according to BTS, if ya know what I mean)

"No beverages near the clothes, please!", Chloe hadn't even really set foot into the goddamn store yet and some lady, according to her name tag, called Stayzee, already stuck out her arm, holding a trash can expectantly.  
Great.  
Looking at Rachel, who just shrugged, the overly tired girl chugged her coffee, burned her entire mouth, then threw the cup away. There went her last two bucks.  
"Thank youuuu", Stayzee pulled the trash can back, showing both the girls her super bleached white teeth, by fake-smiling at them. "Have fun shopping, ladies."  
  
Silently crying but not at all so silently cursing, Chloe headed for the heavily reduced items, spotting one shirt in two different colors, she thought about grabbing. She used to shop at this thrift store with her mom a while ago and undershirts like those, she could easily wear with the slightly oversized jeans button-up, that she had on right now.  
A stonewashed, older piece of clothing, showing the name tag 'William'. The first of his things, Chloe had touched, after her father was ripped away from her way too soon, was his pillow case. She pressed her face into it and inhaled deeply. It was as if he was still there.  Mom started sleeping on the couch more and more often and young Chloe snuck into the empty and cold bedroom, sinking onto her dad's bed side and into his pillow, smothering herself into bad dreams, not daring to cry, because the tears could wash his sent away.  
Just before Mom, she meant well but still, fuck her, locked her bedroom every night and told her daughter to go sleep in her own bed, in her own room, Chloe got her hands on the second thing, belonging to her dad, rescued it before garbage day, out of the hamper. The last thing he wore, as a functioning, happy and healthy human being, still smelling like him, even more, than the pillow and even better, feeling just like hugging him felt like, when he came home from work. This very shirt, she was wearing today and also yesterday.

"So?" Rachel tapped her on the back lightly, interrupting Chloe's deep ponder. "Did you find something you like?"  
Chloe turned around, how long had she been staring at these pieces of cloth, dwelling on the past?  One shirt in each hand, she faced Rachel, who smiled at her reassuringly.  
"Oh wow, how nice. You should totally get them. Go try them on. The dressing rooms are back there."  
  
Rachel pointed in a direction behind Chloe's back, her other arm was holding a black dress, something she had obviously picked for herself.  
"I know... I've been here before," mumbled Chloe and rubbed the fabric between her hands.  
  
"And they only cost two dollars, jackpot! ... Well? What are you waiting for? I am going to put this on. I need your honest opinion, ok?" She held up the dress, something ripped with studs.  
  
  
Only two dollars, four in total... Chloe patted her back pockets... knowing, there wasn't any money to be found in them.  
  
"Chloe...?"  
  
Why was it so warm in this store all of a sudden? Uncomfortably warm... Chloe started to sweat.  
  
"It's fine, if you don't like the dress, but you should never judge something on the hanger, just wait, until I have it on."  
The shirt said 'William' but it didn't smell like Dad... anymore. Too late. It smelled like sweat and nicotine, like bitterness and embarrassment. It smelled like...  
  
"Chloe...?"  
  
Maybe if she just asked Rachel to borrow four dollars...  
  
"Hey, Chloe..."  
  
Rachel was the one, insisting, they'd leave the house as soon as possible, before their disciplinary meeting with both the principal and their parents this afternoon and they somehow managed to ditch breakfast and run from the Amber house as fast as possible. Chloe wanted to keep walking but the huge neon letters, yelling 'SALE SALE SALE' at them, had Rachel get coffee next door and then walk right in.  
  
  
"Hey..., hey Chloe, please talk to me. What is wrong?"  
  
  
Chloe's stomach growled. It was empty and scared. No breakfast... no money... dinner the night before was bust.  
She really didn't know Rachel that well. She really couldn't ask her for money, not even four dollars, or two, or one.  
  
  
"Chloe, you are completely pale. Are you sick? Chloe?"  
  
The shirts in her hands started to feel wet. Was she sweating so much? It really was too warm in here.  
The fabric felt weird, somehow it was stickier in this establishment, than she remembered it. The air around her tasted salty. Or... wasn't that the air...?  
  
  
"Chloe? Why are you crying?"

She felt the hand on her face, felt it rubbing her cheek but damn, Rachel didn't know her that well either.  
Rachel didn't know, how much money was in Chloe's pockets (none) or how long she took in the bathroom in the mornings, (at home only three minutes usually but today at the Amber house, sixteen minutes, because she first couldn't figure out, how to flush Rachel's designer toilet, by foot, so you won't have to touch it with your hands - great. where? how?- and later tried to wash her hands in something called a bidet- no... that's not for your hands).   
Why did Rachel even have something like that in her personal bathroom?   
  
Why do rich people have shit they don't need, while others don't have four fucking bucks???  
  
She felt the finger, sliding down her face, chasing after a tear, that was about to fall from her jaw line to the floor.  
  
  
"Chloe?"  
  
  
Sixteen minutes was still a lot shorter, than what Rose Amber expected, when she asked her daughter downstairs, in the kitchen, to cut strawberries and set the table for everyone, so they could have breakfast.  
The living room table would have to do, since that big ugly lamp directly above the dining table came down last night, Chloe had never seen something like that. While they were picking around in their food, Rachel slid her chicken onto Chloe's plate, when her mother didn't look, listening to an old clock, counting seconds going by and the echo of their own thoughts, it started to rain, first just a few drops, then the rain poured down on the house, just like the whiskey poured down into Mr. Amber's triagle shaped glass.  
  
Two lightning strikes, just as the conversation picked up and got very interesting, but when Rachel called her father exactly what he was, a  lying, (strike) cheating, (strike) piece of shit, when she glared at him, angry and annoyed and added the word motherfucker to her tirade, a thunderbolt hit the stupid thing and it spat out fire, just like a dragon and crushed right through the glass table top, scattering everywhere, the power went off immediately, leaving the room, the street, the whole town- in darkness. Lit, only by Rachel's angry sparking eyes.

 

"I just don't think, it's the best idea."  
"What do you think, she's gonna do, Mom? Steal a chandelier?"  
"Don't get smart with me, Rachel. She wouldn't be the first one to enter this house, demanding things."  
"She didn't demand anything. Not even a blanket. I just offered it."  
"How generous of you. What else are you offering people you barely know?"  
"Pardon?"  
"She dresses like a hobo. She smells like one too. Wearing a wool beanie in May.."  
"Mom! She looks fantastic, also... you used a derogatory term. The correct word is homeless person."  
"I bet she had lice as a child, maybe even now."  
"Mom!"  
"She has no manners and ... and her mother is working in a diner, as a waitress."  
"What's wrong with that?"  
"Nothing, sweetheart... if you are eighteen to twenty-two."  
"I really wish you'd pay more attention to what Dad is doing... you didn't even say one word about it last night... just as if... it didn't matter... or... or as if you already kn-"  
"Rachel! You are smushing the berries!"  
   
  
Ten steps and she would have been at the door. Mrs Amber didn't want Chloe in her house? No problem. She'd just leave.  
Ten steps, quietly and she could have been out...  
  
  
"Momma, I like Chloe, I do. I slept in the guest room, next to her. I am not bothered by her- at all. I am sure, she doesn't have lice and if she does, I can deal with that.  
The beanie is not for the cold, it's an accessory, that can be worn at all times and it looks good on her. I can't see any problem with her manners, but _you_ will with mine, in a second from now, when I take this bowl and gladly throw these strawberries away and eat at the diner, where her mom works sixty hours a week."

Chloe froze, halfway through the hallway, on the way to the door. Did Rachel just...?  
  
Ooooh SHIIIT!  
Both Amber women realized that she stood there, ooking at them, listening.  
Both Amber women grew very big eyes and opened their mouths, as if they were caught stealing a chandelier, the older one, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible.  
  
"I... also fixed your shirt, the one, you wore last night, when you came home, Rachel. It was ripped at the shoulder, you are not leaving the house again in something, that looks like you got attacked by a pack of wolves."  
  
Rachel put down the knife, she used to torture the strawberries with and looked right through her mother, as if she didn't exist. Invisible snob lady, maybe hat was exactly what Rose was.  
  
"Chloe, are you hungry?"  
"No." Still frozen, but able to shake her head.  
"Good, we'll have breakfast on the go. C'mon."  
  
  
  
  
  
"FOR FUCKS SAKE, WHAT IS IT?!"   


With that, Chloe snapped out of it. Out of her thoughts and memories and events from an hour ago and was back into the store. With a pretty and very concerned girl staring at her.

"I... I don't... I don't have any money, Rachel. At all."

"Yes. You do. Here." Rachel handed Chloe her wallet. Just like that.  
  
"No. I don't want to ask you for anything. I don't want to _demand_ anything." Chloe tried to hand back the wallet but Rachel shook her head and smiled.  
  
"It's money Chloe, you _have_ it, you _give_ it, you _need_ it, you _take_ it."  
  
Hm... that actually sounded legit, what a motto to live by... Chloe cracked a very little smile, opening the wallet. There was a lot more in there, than four dollars.  
  
That's why rich people have so much shit. So they can share it, with people they actually like. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 3 + 4 - altered scene from Buzzfeed video "Should you wear that?" / "Sex and The City"


	4. ... & bitch-money

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shorts of how Rachel Amber changed Chloe Price's life for the better, always had her back and the impact her presence made (woven into BTS but not quite according to BTS, if ya know what I mean)

"Is this maybe a little too... mmh, _adult_ for you?"  
Stayzee circled around Rachel, like a drunken ballerina, pointing at the ripped fabric of the dress the girl had picked previously and now checked herself out in. Sure, it was a bold choice, there wasn't that much dress from the waist upwards, but Rachel twirled and posed in front of the large thrift store mirror and seemed to like what she saw in it. Turning to Chloe, raising her brows, she was waiting for some feedback.

"Chloe?"  
  
Still standing there with the two shirts she did grab earlier and rotating Rachel's wallet in her hands, Chloe didn't quite know what to say, so she decided just to nod and blush from head to toe, traveling up and down Rachel's body with her eyes.   
  
"I'm just trying to help you out here girl", Stayzee found herself right back in her element, placing one heavily bejeweled hand on Rachel's almost bare shoulder, covering the two ripped strings that spread across the entire back and made the dress so pretty damn cool and special.   
  
"Not that I'm saying, you look tacky or cheap or anything...," Stayzee really meant well, she patted Rachel's shoulder, the girl's eyebrows lifted up even more, when Stayzee showed her best fake smile. "... but what will your parents say, if you spend all your allowance on this and then you'll have to bring it back?"  
  
Rachel did a full spin, ignoring the sales clark as hard as she could, slightly shaking, so the hand would come off her and the annoying chick slowly got behind the cash counter.  
  
"Chloe, does this make my butt look good?" Rachel arched far back and stuck it out, so Chloe could have a better view but the answer fell more than short, as that useless girl still just stood there, now entirely focused on the drama queen's backside. Seeing that, Rachel just smiled at herself in the mirror, then at Chloe,- standing in the middle of the corridor, blocking half the dressing rooms for anyone else in the store, forced Rachel to get her stuff out of the way and then she started prancing around in the dress, back and forth.   
  
Meanwhile Stayzee returned, she must have lost her lips and sparkling teeth on the way, because her mouth was nothing more, than a small line. With narrowed critical eyes she closely watched Rachel totally feeling herself.  
  
"By the way, over there you will find some dresses, heavily discounted, they would also cover your... uhm... chest area up a bit more."  
With that she spun around and got back behind the counter yet again, to her surprise, with Rachel directly on her ass, who was waving Chloe over.  
  
"Chloe, would you please give me a hand with this?" She turned her back towards Chloe, waiting impatiently.  
  
"Uhm..." Chloe didn't move, she just looked around the shop. There were quite a few people, scanning the sales rags.

"Chloe, my zipper please." Rachel turned slightly and held up her hair with both hands.

"Uuuuh, Rachel?"

"ZIPPER, _NOW_!"

Okay, whatevs. Chloe shrugged and opened Rachel's dress for her, which made her smirk and she immediately peeled herself out of the skin tight fabric.  
  
When it touched the floor, Rachel elegantly stepped out and picked it up, folded it precisely and handed it over to Stayzee.  
"I'll take this one please."  
  
Some of the customers already turned their heads to the scene unfolding next to the entrance of the thrift shop.

The sales woman stared at Rachel with her mouth wide open for a couple seconds, before she was able to say a single word.  
  
"Are you sure you want this?"  
  
"Are _you_ sure, you want my money?" The blond girl smiled like an angel, but Chloe, standing so close to her, she could feel the heat from Rachel's body, was afraid, the girl would ask to borrow her lighter again, any second.  
  
Instead of twenty-four, for everything, Rachel payed twenty-five bucks, when Chloe gave back the wallet and even put one dollar in the tip jar on the counter.  
  
Stayzee couldn't take her eyes off Rachel's floral designed, white and purple-colored underwear, switching from her bust to her thighs. That poor thing blinked about fifty times a second.  
  
"The hottest thing you can wear, is your confidence. It will always suit you. No matter what. Even if you wear nothing at all. Right?"  
  
The sales clerk gasped. "You do know, that you could have used one of our dressing rooms to change back into your clothes?"  
  
"Mmmh yeah, sure. And _you_ could have not been a total bitch."  
  
With that, Rachel winked at the lady, snatched the clothes off the counter, turned around and left the thrift shop, about thirty pairs of eyes and a grinning Chloe following her.  
  
Stayzee was flabbergasted so much, she didn't even take notice, that apparantly an entire tip-jar fits just perfectly into the back pocket of Chloe Price's old jeans.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 3 + 4 - altered scene from Buzzfeed video "Should you wear that?" / "Sex and The City"


	5. more-hoe-u-wanna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shorts of how Rachel Amber changed Chloe Price's life for the better, always had her back and the impact her presence made (woven into BTS but not quite according to BTS, if ya know what I mean)

 

"'Maraw-Joana'"  
"No no no, It's 'Marry-u-wanna' and you have to go up with your voice at the end." Two girls, surrounded by giggles and laughter, sitting on an old wooden boat, in the middle of a junkyard. Since trying to figure out, how this thing even got here didn't get them anywhere, they decided to change subject.  
  
"I feel like we're doing the 'pronunciation manual' here", laughed Rachel. "Scooden-frutiy, scouwden-froudy."  
"Well, you are saying it all wrong. It's 'more-hoe-u-wanna', clearly. I would know." Chloe nodded confidently.  
  
Rachel smiled, removing a pin from the hair, that was normally tucked behind her ear and rolled a few strands of her blonde mane around her index finger, then put it up directly under her nose.  
" _You_ missy, are _not_ qualified to tell me, how to say 'Marrah-Choowana' correctly! I was in the army, I get to tell you how to articulate the 'Moo-rah-choona-alright'!"  
  
Chloe gasped. What an impression. The fuckwit back home would be so proud. That Rachel-stache would give him a hard-on for days. Chloe pulled the hand holing the hair, down and gave Rachel a stern look, step douche style, then spluttered uncontrollably.  
"Okay, okay, now you teach me, Senpai, we'll say it together on three, just the way he said it, yeah? Ready? Okay, one... two... three..."  
  
  
  
Being here together, making fun of the mustache, that was currently dating her mother, Chloe enjoyed Rachel's company. She enjoyed it almost, or... okay, okay equally as much, as stuffing the burrito into her face, that the girl she was getting to know better and better, each passing minute, brought her, to make sure, Chloe wouldn't starve.  
  
Earlier this afternoon, she had watched Rachel, getting into the parental car, driving off Black-Hell campus to go home and most likely endure some more bullshit-talk from ice king and queen. Seeing her leaving, after they had spent two nights and an entire day with each other, was admittedly pretty hard for Chloe, especially so, because at the same time, mentioned mustache asked her to empty her pockets,... all of them,... in broad daylight. No was not an option, looking over to mom, hoping for support, unnecessary.   
The surprised and suspicious look on Joyce Price's face though, when she saw a tip jar with fourty-six dollars in it, come out of her teenage daughters back pocket to be placed on her boytoy's ugly ass car, would be baked into Chloe's memory forever.

"Well, at least he did apologize for slapping the fuck out of me, I mean... Mom probably twisted his arm or something, but you know... it does look better already, right?" She leaned in and turned her head for a proper observation.  
"Hmm.. no, not really, Chloe, no. Sorry, but I won't lie to you. It still looks hella painful, badass though. I can cover it up with make-up, if you want. Should have thought about it this morning, could have gotten us around Wells, asking why there is a new one over the old one...  Are you mad, I didn't tell, what went down in your room? I wanted to say something but then that dirtbag was in there with us... "  
Chloe shook her head, slowly but steady. "Nah... It's fine... really. Also I have no idea why he felt the need to attend."  
"Does it still hurt as much?"  
Again Chloe shook her head, carefully touching the side of her face. Black eye was putting it mildly. The injury, inflicted by her mothers boyfriend just a day ago, started the healing process, a very thin scab already covered it, giving Rachel a hard time pulling Chloe's hand away, who tried to itch and scratch it permanenty.  
  
"I wasn't too impressed with what he had to say about you... or me, in the principal's office, but he _did_ say something at least, unlike my mom... unlike your mom... or Dad, acting like he owns the goddamn school... do you know what actually impressed me?"  
Chloe raised her eyebrows. That disciplinary meeting in principal Wells' office this afternoon absolutely sucked. What could Rachel possibly have liked about it?  
  
"It was when Wells didn't give you a fucking chance to explain yourself and you just started talking in song lyrics all of a sudden. In my head, I was like 'what the fuck is happening right now?' and you just went on and were hella serious about it, like everyone else in the room not getting it, I had to hold back so hard, I almost pissed myself."  Rachel laughed out loud. "I thought, I was a good actress but damn... and it took me a good second to recognize all those songs too. No firewalk there though. Shame."  
  
Chloe joined her laughter. "Sorry, sorry, but I really dig, that you jumped right in and sang the end of the last one, before everything went to shit. Sounded great too."  
Rachel was truly touched by so much appreciation and decided to give it another go, right here, right now.

 _"I can't dance, I can't talk._  
_Only thing about me is the way I walk._  
_I can't dance, I can't sing_  
_I'm just standing here- selling everything."_

 

"You can do all of those things", admired Chloe, clapping. She just couldn't decide yet, wether she liked Rachel's speaking or singing voice better, but she definetiely knew, she liked it, when the girl with an angel's voice and a beautiful laugh, bobbed up and down to music. It didn't matter, if it was at a concert, like the one two nights before, or here, literally at the world's end, sitting in the pile of trash they discovered together, just a day ago.  
Maybe she should make her a mixtape. Firewalking with each other should be just the beginning of a whole musical journey.  
  
  
"Stooop!" Rachel's hand grabbed Chloe's and held on to it tightly.   
"Hm?" Chloe could feel a heatwave, suddenly rushing through her face. Was that from holding Rachel's hand, resting on her thigh? That after seeing her in underwear for the second time in just two days? ... Nah. Probably just eating that burrito way too fast.  
  
"You were scratching again." Rachel winked, squeezing Chloe's fingers, not letting go.  
"Oh, oops."

What a little dork she could be. _Could_ be? "Chloe...?" Rachel tilted her head, looking at Chloe's lips, then at both their hands and interlaced fingers, then directly into the girls eyes, they were so blue... _how could they be so incredibly blue?_  
  
"I... maybe I misunderstood you... you know, two days ago, when we had a... a conversation here, before everything got lit... literally." She used the other hand to tuck her hair behind her ear and squeezed Chloe's hand a bit more.  
"Fuck it, I'm just gonna ask you. Are you... are you going to see the play tonight... with Eliot?"  
  
"Hm?". Oh shit. Chloe stared back at Rachel, a little dumbfounded, she had totally forgoten. She went right past the dude, when the ex-army douche announced his plans to invade the Price-household, after witnessing her getting expelled a few minutes earlier. But before that, Eliot did indeed ask Chloe to go together... right. And now Rachel asked her about it.

"Uhm... yeeah?" Chloe nodded but it was more of a question, not exactly an answer.  
  
  
_Is it weird, wanting to dive into the eyes of someone?_

  
"So..."  
Rachel's hand felt kinda stiff. What was happening? How did that guy even make it into a conversation right about now? Just like the boat she was sitting on, she couldn't explain, how he'd gotten here.

  
"... you two are going on a date tonight."  
  
"WHAT?!" Chloe didn't mean to shout, it just happened. The hell? Where was that coming from? She could feel Rachel's grip around her hand tightening and it made her more and more uncomfortable, but somehow it had little to do with the touching itself.   
  
  
_And then stay there, just a little bit?_  
  
  
"Listen..., I saw you two talking, standing by his car, before I drove off with Mom and Dad. I'm sorry, if I'm reading things wrong but it looked a lot like he had "The Tempest" tickets in his hand, I know, what they look like, we've been selling them for weeks now. It's just... I mean, I saw you nodding and then he hugged you, so... did you agree to go on a date with him tonight?"  
  
A fly was trying to get into Chloe's mouth, meaning it must have been hanging open. She closed it, gulping.  
"Uuh, no, Rachel, no, absolutely not." Chloe shook her head vigrously. Her palm in Rachel's hand started sweating.  
  
"Are you sure about that? I mean... I guess, it's just gonna be a little hard for me to perform, having to watch you two make out in the last row, while I try to focus on my lines, a sword fight and creating a storm..." She tried to laugh but it sounded very weird and forced.  
Chloe still shook her head, "It's not like that. Not at all."  
  
"But isn't Eliot your ex?"  
"Uhm... something like that, I guess."  
"You guess? Is he trying to win you back or something?"  
" _Win_ me? No, uh-uh. No way... I'm not a- ... uh, a price. Dang."  
  
  
Rachel snickered. If she isn't, who is? How does she look so cute, when she is blushing?  
  
Chloe was still shaking her head, sweating profusely.   
"No, listen-"  
"Did he ask you to go see the play with him?"  
"Yes-"  
"After he bought two tickets, one of which he intended to give you?"  
"Yeah, but-"  
"And then he did give it. And you took it."  
"Yeah, sure, but-"  
"And you are aware, that he still has feelings for you."  
"He... does?"  
"He keeps talking about you at school, all the time, especially, when you decide..."  
"... to skip?"  
"... that you have something more important to do."  
"Well fuck. Then I..."  
"Said _yes_ to him."  
"Shit. I... I didn't think... I just thought, we would hang out with each other, like we did before we..., you know..."  
  
Chloe was internally screaming and Rachel could clearly see it.  
Too hard, she was pushing too much. She took a deep breath and loosened her grip.  
Poor thing suffered enough. They both did. Rachel started gently caressing Chloe's hand, using just the tip of her fingers.  
Better. Softer. Let's try again.  
  
  
"Is hanging out with you the same thing as dating you?"  
"Hm... I don't know. Never really thought about it."  
"I understand. Well... since you are _not_ going to see the play with your... with Eliot tonight, I guess, this is for you, if you want it."  
Rachel stopped caressing, pulled a ticket from the pocket of her tight jeans and put it in Chloe's hand. 'The Tempest' - a highschool performance.   
  
"You saved my ass back there in Wells' office and got kicked out for it. When he barked at us, like a big dog, I thought, it's not that important, if I am Prospera or not.  
But now, I am excited about it. Like, very. The least thing I can do, is invite you to the show. Right?"  
  
  
So that's what this all was about... Rachel had been holding on to this ticket herself, for who knows how long.  
She actually wanted Chloe to be there. Weird... but also,... cool.  
It had nothing to do with anyone else. Eliot didn't matter or whatever had happened between them in the past... or did it?  
God, this was so hella confusing... 'hella'?  
  
  
"Chloe?"  
  
Even her butt started to feel all tingly at the thought... Rachel deserved to be in the play, even if Chloe had to bust tables at the diner for the rest of her life.  
The rest of her life... The mustache planned to move in... Into her life.  
  
  
"Chloe? Don't you want to answer?"  
  
"Huh?... Oh shit."  
  
Rachel watched in amusement, when Chloe started patting down all her pockets, rummaging through them, in search of her phone.  
"That's what's wrong with my ass."  
  
"What?"  
  
Finally Chloe got her hands on the old flip and after successfully dropping it, she was able to answer.  
  
  
  
  
"Dude, I can barely hear you. I'm at a junkyard, little outta town, with-... uhm, ok, yeah sure, I'll be here, waiting."  
  
That was odd.  
  
  
  
"Frank. Drug dealer. Usually I have to track him down. He's on his way, wants to talk to me about something."  
  
"Oh. Are you gonna be ok?"  
  
"Sure." Chloe shrugged.   
  
"Ok..., I'm gonna go then..." Rachel got up, slowly, veeeery slowly. "Going... leaving you... any minute now... aaaaany minute."  
  
"Oh, shoot, yeah... of course, I'd love to come see the show."   
  
Rachel smiled. There was her answer.  
  
"Cool. You wanna... hang out with me,... after?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Alrighty then. Don't be late." She winked, then turned around and jumped off the boat.  
Chloe's eyes followed her all the way to the "American Rust" sign, where Rachel disappeared.  
  
  
Waiting for Frank. What did he want? She didn't owe anymore, even if she did... why would he bother, coming all the way?  
And theater... oh my. Billy Shakes, starring Rachel Amber... maybe it would be a shit-fest, who knows, but hanging out with Rachel later, was something to look forward t- WAIT!  
  
_Hanging_ out? Oh. Fuck. Did Rachel ask her out on... did she just agree to...?  
"Fuck me. Fuck me. Fuck me. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!"


	6. Dogs & Deals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shorts of how Rachel Amber changed Chloe Price's life for the better, always had her back and the impact her presence made (woven into BTS but not quite according to BTS, if ya know what I mean)

"For fuck's sake, get in here already!", barked Francis Bowers and grabbed Chloe by the elbow to pull her inside his... "home".  
She stumbled over, sneezed and got all tangled up in some wet towels covering the entire floor. What a mess... and that smell, ooof. Chloe gagged, considering for a brief moment, to write a funny, yet not so lovely review about this "place of business" on yelp, then she kicked one of the cloths with the tip of her shoe. "Dude, it smells like piss in here. Did you have a rough night or something?"  
  
"Every night is a rough night, now shut the hell up, we've got some shit to discuss."  
"The kind of shit, that requires a broken arm?" Chloe squinched. After the dickheads at the concert and David the other day, could literally no one keep their hands off her?  
"What?"  
  
Three knocks at the door, _boom_ , not exactly gentle, _boom_ , not hard either, _boom_ , -but demanding. Yes, that's how it sounded like. Someone insisted on getting in.  
  
Frank's grip around Chloe's arm tightened, he stiffened, just for a second, in the very next, he was right up in Chloe's face.  
"Don't make a sound, don't move one fucking muscle", he growled at her, his teeth clenching.  
Chloe nodded her head yes, then immediately stopped, attempting to just nod with her eyes,- shit, were there muscles in them too? She was stunned, almost frozen in place, didn't dare to arch back. Frank was so damn close to her, the tips of their noses were almost touching, she could smell his aftershave and a wiff of... toothpaste, maybe. Minty  , but not even remotely enough to cover all the various smells coming from and surrounding Frank. Thankfully he turned his head towards the door, just this moment.  
"Who is it?", he shouted, somewhat alarmed.  
How was it possible, that every word out of this guy sounded like someone barfing?  
  
No answer. Weird. In the goddamn middle of nowhere, surrounded by trash, inside more than out there at the junkyard... who would...?

  
"I SAID WHO IS IT?"

  
Chloe flinched. Why was Frank so aggressive? Or was he... afraid? But who-? Without thinking it through, Chloe reached for the handle with her free hand and arm and cracked it open, just a tiny bit to peak out, much to Frank's dismay. Who did he expect to see?  Would the cops follow him all the way out of town? Or was there someone else keeping their taps on him? What was Chloe getting into here?  
And then big blue eyes met suspicious hazel ones on the other side and had her breathless for a second too long. " _Rachel?"_  
  
Although they had parted just about half an hour ago, Chloe realized, how much she'd already missed that girl... as if she was part of something, something bigger, something more...  
  
"Everything okay in there?", Chloe heard Rachel's soft voice quietly asking.  
  
"You c-came... back", Chloe stuttered, it wasn't really a question, more disbelieve and surprise.

"Who the fuck is there and why are you banging at my door?", interrupted Frank, grunting, more than asking, trying to look past Chloe, who now turned back towards him.  
  
  
"Ah, Frank... it's ah..."  
Rachel forcefully ripped the door open entirely and set foot into the RV as if she owned the place, eying both the people right in front of her cautiously, then leaning over to Chloe whispering. "I was almost back in town, when I turned around to head back. Isn't it usually the client, calling the dealer? And why do you have to meet him out here? Are you in trouble right now? Why is he so damn aggro?"  
  
She'd been worried. She came all the way back because she got worried, just to see, if Chloe was safe. Amazeballs. Chloe smiled, the world was okay, just for one second.  
  
"I'm ok, really", she answered, whispering as well, glancing over to Frank, who was slowly but surely losing his patience. Before he got the chance to bawl at both of the girls though, Chloe turned back and faced Frank. "Dude, chill, this is Rachel. She's cool. I swear. Rachel, meet Frank... and don't worry... yet", she added, trying to free her arm.  
  
"Cool, huh?" Frank didn't move, he just scanned silently with his eyes, every inch, taking his time, checking Rachel out.

"Hey, uhm", Chloe got close to Rachel's ear, lowering her voice, "little advise, while you're in here, don't breathe."

"What?... Oh- irgh" The blond girl gagged, just like the visitor before her did. The smell was somehow getting more intense every minute.  
"Oh my God... is- is this fresh urine?" Rachel pointed at the towels, scattered across the floor, then pressed her flannel sleeved wrist aginst her face, whatever the blond girl's arm  smelled like today, Chloe definetely prefered it over the lingering sent they were currently surrounded by.   
  
When Rachel saw Frank's face changing from peach to scarlett, she remembered her manners. "Oh sorry, It's a... pleasure... to... uh... meet you,... S-Sir?" She briefly thought about shaking his hand, but just as quickly withdrew from that idea.  
  
  
Frank laughed out loud, but there was no happiness to be found in his eyes, just this fleeting sound, like a bark of sorts, then he talked directly to Rachel.  
"Whatever Barbie, just stand over there, wait until we are done, shut your pretty mouth and most importantly, don't touch _any_ of my stuff."  
  
Rachel cocked one brow and put her chin up, before taking a step forward, staring right in his face. "Sure thing, Mister", with a single motion, she slapped Frank's wrist off Chloe's arm, "as long as you don't touch any of _my_ stuff."

  
Could it get any more surreal? What was going on? Frank stared at Rachel, as if he wasn't sure, whether he wanted to kiss her shoes or break her jaw. Maybe it was a mix of both.  
  
About three seconds past, while they were all just standing around like idiots, Chloe wondering, what was going to happen next, when Rachel suddenly gasped right next to her and started yelling "Is that a dead fish over there, swimming in your aquaruim?! That's disgusting!" She stormed out of sight, just to reappear moments later, her sleeves rolled up, wearing rubber gloves, hunching over a glass tank that was holding numerous sea creatures, most of them fish, one of them dead as fuck. She carefully took the lid off and  slowly tried to reach it, while checking on the others. "There is so much filth floating in here and the filter is busted. Do you ever clean?", she asked over her shoulder. Frank was still staring, not able to answer.  
Chloe guessed no person ever, client, cop or other, had ever lectured him like that or shown up with a bucket and a sponge andd started a cleaning process.   
  
"Soo", Chloe rubbed the skin, where Frank had hold on to her arm, "... you wanted to talk to me about something man?", she tried to get to the root of this. What was this about? Shit to discuss... she didn't do anything. She didn't owe him anymore... did she?  
  
"Yeah... yeah..." Frank waved her over to the passenger seat, while he sat behind the wheel and started the engine. "Grab the notebook on the dash, last page." Chloe rolled her eyes. Whatever this was, it had nothing to do with her. She wanted to leave. The urine smell was on the seat too. Rachel was right, he was disgusting. She never really gotten into the RV before, why was it some people's dream to live like that? Touring with a band maybe... but... well, she wasn't here to judge... she normally came to get high and she couldn't care less, how this dude was living his life and who was emptying their bladder on his chairs. Hoping this would be over soon, Chloe opened up the last page, like she was told.  
  
"Why do you even have pets, if you abuse them?", Rachel shook her head, carrying a dead fish in a casher into the bathroom section of the RV. "Disgusting!", they heard her grumble, through the door/curtain-thingy.  
Neither Chloe, nor Frank lifted their head, but when the drug dealer pointed on one of the names on the page, _Drew North_ , he murmered "Your friend is fucking annoying, dude."  
Chloe shrugged, very well aware, that he'd say the exact same thing about her... or anyone for that matter, he hated people, just as much as Chloe did... unless he could profit from them... kinda like... Chloe did? Nah, she was just trying to survive, while others liked to see her struggle... did he ever have problems with that? Was that how he got into...? ... Would she consider, selling drugs to...? NO! No, no. No she wouldn't. She wouldn't, right? Her eyes focussed on Drew North and she had to clear her throat. "He's not my friend though, we never even talked until a few words, like two days ago..."  
  
Irritated for a second, Frank narrowed his eyes "What the hell? I'm talking about Barbie over here." He pointed in Rachel's direction with his head. She was scooping dirty sand from the aquarium floor into her bucket and replacing it by fresh sand, she must have found in a cabinet nearby.  
  
Oh. Of course, he meant her... Her friend. Her... friend... her friendly friend... her _friend_ Rachel. They literally just half an hour or so ago agreed to go on a freaking... but like, maybe not, maybe it was just a joke or a misunderstanding, maybe Rachel just didn't like Eliot. It wasn't a date. Rachel would never ask Chloe out on a date... or if she wanted to... Fuck!  
Chloe pushed the thoughts away, instead insisting "Could you not call her that? Her name is Rachel. Just Rachel."  
  
Frank grunted again. Looked over, where Rachel set the bucket down and took her flannel off, so it wouldn't get wet, his eyes stayed on her hips for a moment too long, when she tied the shirt's sleeves around her waist.  
  
"Rachel, huh? She's hot."  
"She's fifteen."  
"Did I say hot? I meant cute."  
"You're disgusting."  
  
  
He tapped on the name in the book that was still open, one more time, while he was slowly driving away from the junkyard, headed towards the Bay area and now for no particular reason, it shaking in Chloe's hands.  
"Back to this guy. He owes me money, money that I owe myself. We're not talking 420 here, this big Arcadian asshole stole five grand, he's selling for a friend of mine and this friend might not be so friendly, if the cash isn't back until tomorrow." His voice had gotten deeper, his eyes narrowed into slits, his head kept switching to the RV door and back- Was he nervous?... Was he...?  
  
"Well fuck... is that why you were freaking out, when you heard the knocks on the door? Are you scared of your buddy?" Chloe snorted. A man like Frank Bowers, scared of a man like... well, Frank Bowers, ha! What an actual pussy! When she saw his face change expression again though, she quickly stopped and asked, "What do you want from me dude? I don't have five thousand dollars to give you, I know, I haven't always payed for my weed on time and I will probably be overdue again sooner than later, plus my credit is already fucked, but-"  
"Here's the deal", he interrupted her, "you go to his dorm room at Blackwell, get the money, bring it to me and I'll forget you ever were in debt. I will erase any memory of you being an unreliable stupid little punk kid with too much time, but not enough dime and you will always have credit. As a matter of fact, Price, I will give you a five percent cut, if you get me the money back."

Whoa. What? She had to let that sink in.  
  
Then a high-pitched scream, coming from the far end of the RV distracted Chloe from thinking about the plan.  
"Ah fuck", growled Frank, "what did she find now? Thought I fucking told Barb-, Rachel, not to touch anything."  
  
  
But not a single disapproving "disgusting" followed, Rachel's voice instead had changed into a childish sing-sang. "Who are you, sweetie? Are you making all of that mess in here? Are these your treats? Come here,... oooh, you're so shy, it's okay. I don't bite. Do you? Are you gonna bite me?"  
  
  
Chloe shifted in her seat, uncomfortably and more than confused, hoping Rachel wasn't talking to dead fish, trying to feed them back to life or whatever, when suddenly Frank right next to her jumped to his feet, yelling at the top of his lungs, "HEY! STAY AWAY FROM THAT BLOOD HOUND MISSY, HE IS DANGEROUS! THAT'S A KILLING MACHINE!" Frank was so outraged, his hands were clenched into fists and the RV was shaking, but Rachel just continued, "Is that true? Is your Daddy right? Are you a big dangerous doggy? Or am I allowed to touch your fluffy ears? Come here buddy, here, this is just for you. Yeah, that's the spirit, take it from my hand, we're gonna be best friends. Awwe, Daddy is soooo wrong, stupid old man, you are a big tiny cuddle bear."  
  
Chloe's dealer howled like an injured animal and and ran into his bedroom, where Chloe could just barely make out Rachel, kneeling in front of a huge bed, petting and playing with an active puppy... a killing machine apparantly... for Chloe that might have been true, because of-, she sneezed, fucking dog allergies.  
  
So Frank got a dog, what the hell?! With this limited space and all the party supplies around? Don't they have sensitive noses and shit? And also what the hell?!  He wanted her to steal drugs, or no, steal drug money, back from a small gangster, who would otherwise get his ass beaten by a big gangster, a gangster so scary, even Frank flinched talking about him, getting a dog for his protection... or company? Great. What was next? 

 

"Uhmm, hello... excuse me I am not exactly consenting to this.... hey!" Frank had one of his giant hands around Rachel's neck, pushing her out of the bedroom into the front of the RV, while she was protesting, but not letting go one bit of the small brown  puppy squished against her chest.  
"He can fucking kill you, you dumbass, give me back my dog and stop touching everything!", hissed Frank.  
Rachel looked furious. "He was hiding because you don't take good care, his food bowl was empty and he is scared, maybe you should stop yelling and screaming and pick up a mop, if you cleaned up in here yourself, I wouldn't trip and fall all over the place and I am not touching anything you big whiney baby, I wouldn't dare to, I don't want to get hepatitis." They both evil eyed each other. Chloe instinctively grabbed her lighter through her pants, she would not let Rachel borrow it, the girl looked like she was ready to blow this vehicle up, with all of them still in it.  
  
"Oh and... I'm sorry, did I just hear something back there, something... involving drugs at Blackwell campus... something going down, like a drugdeal or something?"  
"Rachel!" Chloe looked at her concerned, but also warning. She needed that money. She wanted that cut.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you gangsta boy, look at me!", Rachel continued, ignoring Chloe completely.  
Frank's jaw dropped, his mouth hung open.  
  
"I mean, fuck me, if I'm wrong, but it sounded a lot like you were just trying to make Chloe do all the dirty work for you and then give her a what, ten percent cut?" Rachel laughed. "That was clearly a joke, man."  
  
Frank reached for his dog. "I said five and you Barbie, can stay the fuck out of things you don't understand."  
Rachel put her hand on the puppy's head, petting him, while she death stared at Chloe's dealer. "Things, _I_ don't understand?! How about this? Barbie is a fucking badass. She had over 200 inspirational jobs, including singer, teacher, pilot, vet, journalist, firefighter, robotix engeneer and game developer. Barbie flew to space four entire years before men set foot on the moon, she is a fashion icon with hair as smooth as it gets, she could totally have any man, but chooses to surround herself with women instead and no, Kenneth does not count, he is not her lover, he actually is her brother, it's true, look it up. Although Barbie is super busy, she is always kind, friendly, drives the nicest cars, lives in the best houses, stands on her own feet, if she actually could stand and does not take shit from anyone. She always finds time to take care of her little sister AND her many, many PETS! So if you want to continue calling me 'Barbie', then I'll take that as a fucking compliment."  
  
Frank gulped. So did Chloe. Now she almost felt sorry for blowing all her Barbie dolls up, when she was fourteen.  
  


"Fine. Ten... uh, fifteen percent. Hand Bean over."  
"Sixty-five and his name is Pompidou."  
"What the fuck!"  
"I already named him and he likes me better than you."  
"Give me my dog... Rachel."  
"Agree to seventy percent first."  
  
Frank snorted and grabbed the puppy's collar. He didn't like that as all and snapped at the guy's hand.   
Rachel snuggled her nose into the warm fur. "Shhh, it's okay Pompidou."  
  
Chloe sneezed again, she couldn't believe what was going on right in front of her. Her eyes were watering up but she didn't want to miss a damn thing. It was like a ping-pong match, just way more dramatic and exciting.  
"Fine! Twenty you maniac, now get both of your asses out of my home."  
  
Rachel sat the dog down on the ground but between her legs and insinuated him to stay there. Then she looked back at his owner. "Oooh, look at me, I'm such a cliché hard gangster, with my cheap neck tattoos and my imitate golden watch and fake leather jacket, that is like," she looked him up and down... "two sizes too small, I could kill you with my bare hands but I'm not using them to I don't know... _feed_ my pets."  
  
Frank's mouth was a very thin line, there was a vein on the side of his head, Chloe had never really noticed before. The fact that it was pulsating that much, would probably give her intense diarrhea later.  
He got very close right up in Rachel's face but she was not backing away. His teeth were clenched when he talked, keeping his voice very low. "Just so you know, you little gold-digger, it is real leather and it's not an imitate."  
  
  
"Oh?", smiled Rachel, tilting her head innocently, "it is, huh? ... So you _can_ afford to feed your pets."  
"Yes", hissed Frank and a bit of saliva sprinkled all over the place.   
"Like you _can_ afford to pay Chloe,... right?"  
  
His jaw dropped. Chloe hid her big smile in her face. What. The. actual. Fuck. ???  
  
"Right?"  
Frank closed his eyes. Defeated.  
"Yes."  
The dog named Pompidou, formerly Bean, barked once.  
Rachel picked him up and handed him to Frank. ""Good boy". She took her hands back. "We'll split it fifty-fifty and take twenty-five in advance, in case anything goes wrong, we don't want Chloe to end up empty-handed, right?"  
  
Chloe felt dizzy. Was Rachel Santa? Was this a dream? Was this really happening?  
She might die later, entering a dorm room, stealing drug money but damn, she'd come back as a ghost, forcing Rachel to deal weed prices for her.  
  
"Yeah, we don't want that", whispered Frank, more to himself, holding on to his dog, that tried to get back to Rachel.  
The thug turned to one of the cabinets and handed the blond girl a jar and when Rachel took off the lid, she smile across her entire face.  
  
She passed it on to Chloe and then firmly shook Frank's hand, placing the other one on his arm, then under her other hand."It was a pleasure to meet you Frank. We should do this again." She winked at him, then blew some kisses towards the puppy.  
"Bye bye Pompidou, see you next time." With that, she was out of the RV and in the light of the setting sun. Chloe followed her on foot.  
The door behind them couldn't close fast enough.  
  


Chloe took a breath to speak. Rachel lifted a finger. "Wait."  
  
The tail lights went on.  
"Wait."  
  
The RV drove around a corner and was out of sight.  
"Now."  
  
  
"I wanna marry you! Bitch, oh my God! You-you... you're a fucking mafia boss, I wanna have your babies! What the fuck was all that?"

Rachel smiled. "Girl, you need to learn how to negotiate."  
  
Chloe nodded, not able to say anything else.  
  
"Well, I am here early", she said, looking at the gate in front of them. "Good, I can go through my skript again and meditate, before I am on... do you think, you can make it in time to see the play?"  
  
Chloe shook her head, still in disbelieve about what just happened.  
"I'll try... to be a... fast criminal."  
  
"Good, then I'll go get ready, see you later and take good care of that jar... he did not just have fish food in his cabinets."  
  
  
Chloe watched Rachel walk over to the stage area, where they had set up large tents. It actually looked kind of pretty. She felt better about being expelled now, Rachel wouldn't want to miss this. Chloe wouldn't want Rachel to miss this and she would watch her perform... and later they would do something toghether... but first... shit. First,... she had to...  
  
Chloe swallowed. She looked at the jar in her hand... looked around... no one to be seen... she took off the lid.  
Stashes. Stashes of green. Pot and dollars. All twenties. All 420's.  
A golden shimmer at the bottom... she reached for it... a golden watch.  
  
Was that...? Rachel!!!   
'It was a pleasure to meet you Frank'... the way she was touching him... the 'imitate'... unbefuckingleavable.  
Chloe grinned and closed the lid, oh, they were so going on a date later. Right about now, Chloe was convinced, this was about to become the best fucking day of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, finally! I am actually coninuing the series, after I started writing this chapter back in May 2019... andthen re-wrote large portions of it later that year... the title changed a couple times as well, one of them was by the way called "beans & bullshit" :)  
> Thanks for staying tuned.

**Author's Note:**

> chapter 1 - altered scene from the movie "First Girl I Loved"


End file.
